1. Field of the Invention
The invention is directed to an adjustable bearing ball having multiple parts. The invention is suitable as a bearing ball for the shift lever bearing in motor vehicles and particularly for installation in motor vehicles in which tolerances between the shift housing or bearing housing and cover must be compensated for, for example during final assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a wide variety of known bearing balls in shift levers. For example, DE 692 10 981 T2 (see also EP0552521) describes a shift lever bearing in which a shift lever arrangement has a shifting rod which extends in a longitudinal direction and has a ball with a partially spherical bearing surface substantially concentric to the shifting rod, the rod being fitted through the ball in order to allow a universal swiveling movement. The ball is arranged between the ends of the rod and remote there from and has at least two shaped bearing bodies providing the bearing surface which are assembled around these rods. Shift lever bearings of this type can easily be fastened at the location provided for them in the vehicle. However, when a cover is provided through which the shift lever projects, stresses can occur in the cover, or at the lever near the opening of the cover surrounding the lever when the opening of the cover is not exactly aligned with the axis of the lever.
EP 0 792 768 A1 discloses a shift lever with a cover and spherical bearing in which stresses can occur in the cover and/or at the shift lever when certain covers are used. These stresses can be prevented through adjustments in the cover and in the bearing for the ball. This calls for a considerable expenditure on assembly or results in premature wear of the cover or bearing of the bearing ball.